tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69770956276347182972024-03-13T07:29:31.933-07:00Conversations over Twine and TinA book review blog created by booknerds and bibliophiles with nothing to sell but our individual perspectives on books. We want you to read with us, argue with us, and introduce us to new realms of reading!Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-35250676625093282982013-07-02T20:07:00.000-07:002013-07-02T20:07:03.777-07:00...Soldier, Psycho (Part II)
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<span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Ok, I took my grand old time posting the second
portion of my previous rant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
‘scuse me. For some fabulous reason, Blogspot has decided to muck up my formatting as well...please forgive! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1356
</span></u></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">by Bernard
Cornwall</span></i><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">- If I haven’t mentioned this already, one of my
favorite genres is that of historical fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I get to immerse myself in a totally foreign time frame, and
‘experience’ what life may have been like in different eras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inevitably, I come out of such novels with a
renewed sense of gratitude that I live in this particular generation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although obviously taken with a grain of
salt, I’m actually quasi picky about what historical fiction I read and I
prefer to stick with ‘mostly accurate’ HF when I can find it. (as an aside, I
stumbled on to <a href="http://www.librarything.com/topic/16946" target="_blank">this link</a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">a while back, and it gave me some neat starting
points.) But I digress!! (have you noticed? I do that sometimes!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ok, back on topic: Bernard Cornwall is apparently
an incredibly prolific writer who stays often within the realm of HF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>1356</u></i>
was my first foray into his work, and I have to say, I loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based around the Battle of Poitiers that took
place between the French/Scots on one side, and the English on the other,
Cornwall paints an incredibly vivid picture of what battle was like in (yup,
you guessed it!) 1356.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vivid, but not
unforgivably and gratuitously violent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cornwall complements his work by including historical notes and maps-
and I was so drawn into the intertwining stories and battles that I CONSULTED
THE MAPS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Have I mentioned that I NEVER
consult maps in novels? The first time I ever grasped the layout of Middle
Earth was earlier this year, when I bought a poster map for my son to consult
as we began to read LOTR together.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, maps or no maps, this story was a winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Characters were engaging, human, and
believable, the story was well crafted, and I learned about history in spite of
myself- I felt so proud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coincidently,
my older brother is a HUGE history buff, and loves anything and everything having
to do with battles, (descriptions of battles, descriptions of weapons used in
battles, descriptions of armor worn in battles…you get the picture) and so when
I finished reading this, the first person I called was my brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Course, since I’m his little sister, he
won’t listen to me for another 2 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hope YOU take advantage sooner </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-hansi-font-family: Batang; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Let me know if you do!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loBAZ_yFq5Q/UdOVE7OFNiI/AAAAAAAAAEk/YmY5YenjK_k/s276/1356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loBAZ_yFq5Q/UdOVE7OFNiI/AAAAAAAAAEk/YmY5YenjK_k/s276/1356.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Other Typist</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by
Suzanne Rindell-</i> Ok, so this book has been viewed, reviewed, and lauded up
and down 5<sup>th</sup> Avenue twenty times already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I’m merely adding my voice as one
among a clamor, but here goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get
introduced to the novel’s narrator, Rose, in the midst of prohibition era New
York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rose is a bit of a mystery unto
herself, for all that she is the window through which we glimpse the tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rose is a typist for a police precinct; she
is charged with recording and transcribing the confessions and statements of
the felons brought in to the station for various and sundry crimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do get a very tangible feel for what the
occupational hazards of such a job may have been and a fascinating perspective
on the profound trust necessary to complete such a task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men (and presumably some women) were tried
and convicted on the basis of what another human person wrote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scary, no? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;">At any rate, Rose has carved out a life for
herself, climbing her way up from an anonymous beginning in a convent school,
to reaching a respected position in civil service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rose, is, if nothing else, very respectable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we meet Odalie, who comes to join the
typing pool, and promptly turns Rose’s world upside down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;">I still hold that my favorite
flapper/20’s/prohibition novel that I’ve encountered is </span><a href="http://www.twineandtin.blogspot.com/2012/05/rules-of-civility-amor-towles.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13;">Amor Towles’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rules of Civility</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Other Typist </i>is not a novel in the same vein at all, exuding a much more of
manipulative, distrusting sense throughout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, the better I got to know Rose as the narrator, the less
inclined I was to believe her. That being said, the setting, the backdrop of
the story as it were, is incredibly exquisite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The author created an incredibly tangible environment that may have you
sneaking into dilapidated wig shops at odd hours of the day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Batang","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #274e13;">And then it ended, and I was confused. Have at
it, then come back and tell me what it was all about.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-21044771046072287772013-06-18T17:57:00.000-07:002013-06-18T17:57:32.946-07:00
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Hangman, Housewife, Soldier, Psycho (part 1)</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><o:p><span style="color: white;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><span style="color: white;">No, no I’m not talking about “Game of Thrones”; but I might get to those
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I wanted to give a glimpse
into the first handful of books that I’ve worked through thus far this summer,
and as you may have gathered from the title, they were a bit of a mixed
bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These four tomes have been wildly
different, and have also varied enormously on my very own personal scale of
likeability. SO, since I know you are all <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">breathless
</i>to hear my thoughts...here goes!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><o:p><span style="color: white;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">The
Hangman’s Daughter</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> by
Oliver Potzsch</span></b><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">: I know, I couldn’t pronounce his last name
either- but seriously don’t let that stop you!! This is a murder mystery pure
and simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only not really. It’s
actually a murder mystery set in seventeenth century Bavaria, in a little village
that has survived its share of hardship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know, like the bubonic plague, a scourge of ‘witch burnings’ a
generation or two back, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town
has a very real sense of order and tradition about it, and is held on course by
the councilmen who oversee the laws, the merchant/tradesmen who guard the trade
(and thereby the livelihood of the villagers), and the Hangman, who carries out
the just punishments meted out by those who govern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><span style="color: white;">As you may gather from the title, our Hangman is the linchpin upon
which the story rests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far from the
hulking, axe wielding, belly-baring sycophants who tend to bear the moniker in
popular legend, Jakob Kuisl is a quiet, God-fearing man who loves nothing more
than tending his family, studying science, and plying his side-trade of
medicine man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But suddenly, orphans from
the village begin disappearing, and turning up dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fingers are pointed at the village midwife
who spent time with them, and suddenly, the witch hunts from years ago begin to
foment again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to save lives,
and seek out the truth amidst rumors, superstitions and evils real and
imagined, Jakob must work together with the village doctor to find the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">true</i> culprit, and thus restore peace to
their village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say, I have not
read a mystery that was this much fun in a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Potzsch manages to deal with some very dark
themes, and creates a multi-layered scenario, populated by believable, three dimensional
characters who are various parts believers in faith, superstitious of evil,
truth-seeking, manipulative, and desirous of justice…and that’s just on the
town council!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do yourself a favor, and pick
this one up.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2AZ5cyVyjzs/UcEAHFAaC6I/AAAAAAAAAD4/jfMfv09yXjQ/s1600/The+HD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2AZ5cyVyjzs/UcEAHFAaC6I/AAAAAAAAAD4/jfMfv09yXjQ/s320/The+HD.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Gone
Girl</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> by
Gillian Flynn:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> this is one of those books that I grabbed because
I was seeing it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everywhere</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NPR covered it more than a few times, there
were excerpts posted, author interviews, and rave reviews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, having had my interest piqued, I ordered
it from the library and sat down to see what the hype was all about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it engrossing? Yes. Was it well-written?
Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I like it? Not remotely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><span style="color: white;">Based on the sudden disappearance of Nick’s lovely wife, Amy, the pages
begin to spell out what looks to have been the rise, and pitiable fall of the
marriage of a young couple who have it all together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set in the muggy Mississippi we learn of the
slow crumble from the ivory tower experienced by Nick and Amy, and then are
brought face to face with Amy’s abrupt erasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is simply…gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suspicion, of
course, immediately falls on Nick (isn’t it always the husband? At least when
there is no butler?) who must do his utmost to prove to both the law and the
reader that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he didn’t do it</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as lie
begets lie, we are confounded again and again by damning revelations, false
facades, and human error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not gonna
lie, there were a few instances where I literally breathed out “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">idiot</i>” under my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then we get to hear Amy’s side of the
story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><span style="color: white;">And here’s the rotten part; I can’t gripe sufficiently about how I feel
without ruining the surprise for you!! And boy oh boy, where there surprises! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><span style="color: white;">So, one might assume that this would be a winner- engrossing story,
empathetic characters, tightly wound twists and turns….but I have to say
unabashedly that I pretty much hated it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you decide to try for yourself, I’m sure you’ll see why.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ytzs4ZAdT4/UcEAMwH1XZI/AAAAAAAAAEA/hGBAy5bARuk/s1600/gone-girl-book-cover-med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ytzs4ZAdT4/UcEAMwH1XZI/AAAAAAAAAEA/hGBAy5bARuk/s320/gone-girl-book-cover-med.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Yes, yes, I know that’s only two out of four! If you’re not sick of me
yet, the other two will be forthcoming soon </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Bodoni MT"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang; mso-hansi-font-family: "Bodoni MT"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-12631638082029880242013-06-09T15:41:00.000-07:002013-06-09T15:41:21.311-07:00<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Nx6YEDiPguAUYM&tbnid=WpVk891WM_rRyM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fagriomeli.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F05%2Fblog-post_1761.html&ei=VQO1UYyDBoaFrgGd54DADw&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWM&psig=AFQjCNEf5KtKb0gQqL3zFaX8f4wlTi914w&ust=1370903753850373" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="240" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.skinnalicious.net/modules/wfdownloads/images/screenshots/the_black_ship_1280x960.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Have Library Card,
Will Travel<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">So, I’m in situation that I’m sure many individuals can
relate to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I would LOVE to spend
my summer reclining in the sun, with a cool, frosty beverage in my hand, a warm
wave slipping up to rinse the sand from between my toes, it’s just not in the foreseeable
future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It appears that someone lost the necessary paperwork on my trustfund, and well... (sigh...)</span>This makes me a bit sad, but, as
I’m not destined for faraway climes anytime soon, I’ve decided to make the best
of it by curling up my pasty-white self into a corner of the couch (or
stretching on a deck chair- life’s really not that bad <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> ) and diving headfirst into a
plethora of promising looking tomes that I’ve heard of, read about, or inadvertently
discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Truth to tell, my journeys have been pretty exciting;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far this summer, I’ve been to Mississippi,
France, Bavaria, New York and quite a few other uncharted regions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, that being said, some of those journeys
that I’ve taken haven’t ended up how I would have picked, and there were a few
that had me downright irate…when you travel by book, you have to travel by the
book, if you catch my meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t
alter an ending just because it displeases you; you can’t change an outcome to
save a beloved character (even if you see their fate descending on their heads
like the snapped string of the sword of Damocles), and no matter how hard you
slam a book shut and then proceed to rant, rave, and lose sleep over a rotten
ending, you must accept the simple fact that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the book doesn’t care</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><o:p> </o:p>This can be a hard truth to face, especially when we invest
our time (and sometimes our emotions, if the author’s gifted) in pouring
ourselves into a story, grow attached to the characters (some of them, anyway),
who, either in spite (or because) of their flaws and foibles still manage to
speak to us and draw us in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be a
bit of any unrequited love, you could say; or maybe a single sided
infatuation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we invest ourselves
in a promising book, we can still end up being betrayed, enraged, outraged or
just feeling downright gypped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><o:p> </o:p>Luckily, this is not always the case! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, more often than not, we as the
readers end up awash in a sea of tranquility that stretches around us as a
story takes hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great author can
navigate us through the ebbs and swells that batter our vessels, steering
through the salty depths of an experience by the guidance of universal truths
that speak out as constellations to sailors amidst a black night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are lucky enough to journey into a
book like that, my friend, don’t let it get away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep it, buy it, shelve, save it; and when
necessary, take that trip again when your life needs a respite. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What books steer you true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What speaks to you, guides you, refreshes you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What have you found that, unlooked for, makes
you laugh while reading in the doctor’s office, or cry on the subway, or cuss
at the culmination?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to those
that can guide us, I feel (and some may disagree) that any book that slips off
the page and pulls a human emotion from the depths of your heart is a book
worth having read. </span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy travels!</span> </span></div>
Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-8139564432614326222012-06-23T19:48:00.000-07:002012-06-23T19:52:41.364-07:00<br />
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">A <i>Brave </i>Critique</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">My husband and I took our babies to go see Disney/Pixar’s
new movie “Brave” this evening. Ok, truth be told, I whined and nagged until
they took <i>me</i> to go see it, but who
cares. Visually and even musically it
was stunning. I love any movie where the
characters have accents, and if it’s a Scottish burr, than all the better! The scenes were beautiful, the music was
beguiling, and the artistry was incredible.
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">Here’s my complaint: the story, as it were, was not merely
pockmarked and flimsy, it was also inconsistent. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">Here’s the reason for my complaint: <i>THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR CRAPPY STORYTELLING IN DISNEY!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">There’s actually no excuse for crappy storytelling in <i>any</i> forum, but that’s another rant. There is such a wealth of legend, lore, and
myth in the Celtic culture that to try to cobble together a new story in a land
steeped in folklore is just lazy. Water-horses,
forest sprites, Arthurian legends, the Loch Ness monster, for crying out
loud!! None were to be found in the
vast, sweeping views of “Brave”. The
misty bits of magic that <i>did</i> make an
appearance were so ambiguous, that they seemed more (to me) to be space-fillers
than central to the story. Of course,
there is a purveyor of magic, and a giant battle of man vs. beast as well the
internal man vs. self struggles¸ all of which are crucial elements of any
Disney flick. But there seemed to be
two separate story lines (that of the Bear, and the struggle between the
heroine, Merida and her mom) and rather than offer mutual support to the other,
they acted as two ropes of a rickety mountain bridge with naught but scraps
binding them together. <br />
<br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">In an effort to avoid spoiling the movie, I realize that I’m
lacking quite a bit of articulation, here.
But, truly, I hate to have the ending given away to me, so I’m trying to
keep myself in line. I have another long
standing critique of movie makers that I must needs voice as well, but I’m
almost through. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">That being said, I’ll summarize and be gone. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;"> As I mentioned
earlier, the movie is visually stunning.
It also bears the marks of true Pixar genius- one must watch the <i>whole</i> screen in order to avoid missing
cleverly placed or implied quips and comedy.
The actors who lent their voices were also incredible. With all those elements in place, I feel that
so much attention was focused on those facets that the <i>story</i> was let slip on by. In researching a bit of the background, there
seemed to be some changes in the mix that may have contributed. The initial director (a woman), was found to have
artistic differences with the studio, and was replaced (by a man) with about 18
months left before release. I know, I
know, it’s politically incorrect and sexist to be calling out gender
qualifications. But in a film where the
central story revolves around the relationship of a mother and a daughter, is
having male direction really the best way to go? (C.S. Lewis has a phenomenal statement on the
uphill climb male authors have when trying to write from a female perspective, but
I can’t find the blasted quote that I want for here!). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;">As for my longstanding gripe about all movies in recent
decades- studios seem to think that there cannot be both a strong female lead
alongside a strong male presence. The
nearest exceptions to this rule that I have seen in recent years are Mr.
Incredible, and Rapunzel’s father in <i>Tangled</i>. Mr. Incredible does a great job, although
his tragic flaw definitely trips him up.
Rapunzel’s dad is an admirable figure, but has nary even one vocal line
with his daughter. We assume the best of
him, but maybe that’s because he shows up as a constant, despite only being on
screen for a mere handful of frames. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;"><i>Brave’s</i> father
figure, Fergus, suffers a more traditional fate. While obviously gifted with great strength,
and just as obviously loves his wife and daughter, he fails to truly champion
either when their need is the greatest.
Rather, he is ruled by his passions, and hands over all of the actual
ruling (all that we see, at any rate) to be handled by his wife. Don’t get me wrong here- I love strong women
characters!! I’ll take an arrow slinging,
horseback riding, betrothal-bucking Celt over a simpering namby-pamby waiting-on-Mr.
Right-to-save-me any day of the week.
But I do not feel that emasculating our men makes us stronger women. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #d9ead3;"> Pixar at its peak is
the family dynamic in <i>The Incredibles</i>. It’s the self-sacrifice evidenced in <i>Cars</i>, and the tenacity and hope in <i>Finding Nemo. </i> <i>Brave</i>, for all of its visual glory,
falls short of that mark. </span></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-30030386412009989662012-05-25T20:42:00.000-07:002012-05-25T20:42:05.385-07:00<br />
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<a class="rg_l" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=blind+mans+bluff&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4SKPB_enUS384US384&biw=1280&bih=577&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsb&tbnid=UtU5EoVYVmi59M:&imgrefurl=http://catholicphoenix.com/2011/04/15/disorientation-and-the-catholic-weltanschauung/&docid=_z9a3dlRMYtMOM&imgurl=http://catholicphoenix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/blindfold.jpg&w=468&h=438&ei=WiPAT6PSDOeW2AWg5fFm&zoom=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeju2s1yfLz7Vume0Rpv3FWtAdF_i7tPwvketgISLcMZJ2T1pqBD2NAmsL" height="127" name="UtU5EoVYVmi59M:" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeju2s1yfLz7Vume0Rpv3FWtAdF_i7tPwvketgISLcMZJ2T1pqBD2NAmsL" width="136" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, apparently, I'm that lone child in the field playing "Blind Man's Bluff" whilst all the rest of the better informed and non-blindfolded children laugh from the shade at my blundering about the field, sipping lemonade and tea cakes. (What do you mean? That's not what <i>you're </i>childhood consisted of?)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Apparently, one can now pass things on through blogging...who knew?! I'm still trying to figure out my formatting :-) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At any rate, one of the women on the blogosphere whom I admire greatly (while shamelessly rifling through her blogs for tips that I can employ in my own) sent me a note that I had been nominated for the Kreative Blogger Award!! What joy! What rapture! What does that mean? To paraphrase, in order to accept this prestigious nomination (pronounced '<b>press</b>-tij-uss' to properly convey the height of this honor) one must bare one's soul by denoting seven little known facts about myself, and then nominate another Magnificent Seven. The best part, as Joanne noted : "there’s no monetary investment and you don’t have to send a book or a dish towel to thirty of your closest friends". Talk about myself with no added postage fee?? Sign me up! So here it is, kiddos; put up with hearing seven fast facts about me, then you can go off and visit the realms of seven much cooler bloggers than I!! Shall we begin? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I have a sad obsession with YA fiction. It's my version of train wreck TV. I'm proud to say that I've never watched an episode of The Bachelor, but I have read scores of novels...many with one word titles. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the greatest things I learned in college is that a large spoon, a (wide-mouthed) jar of peanut butter, and a 1 lb bag of M&M's is a better dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) than you will ever find in a cafeteria. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I consider myself a pretty good haggler, but I'm terribly inefficient with coupons. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know the words to every song in about 7 Disney musicals, and can hold my own with many of Broadway's. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I often drive at least 5 miles over the speed limit home from work. The speed often increases in direct proportion to the Bon Jovi song to which I'm belting out at the time. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was hopeless as a cook through my collegiate years- much of what I learned was gleaned from my husband and the food network. I <3 Barefoot Contessa.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I get uber pissed off when people downplay the work and talent necessary to be a stay at home mom. I am back to being full time in the workforce, but secretly wish every day I could stay home to bake with my daughter and read stories to my son at all hours. </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So there you have it...is your life now enriched? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On to bigger and better things! In no particular order, here are my archetypes in the blogging world. Stop by to be transported, informed, and amused :-)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.mybrokenfiat.com/">My Broken Fiat</a> is written by a fantastic young woman who is daily working to live out her chosen faith, while maintaining an honest, upfront dialogue with the world in which she lives. Gina pulls no punches, and I love seeing what she has on the table for discussion. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.joannesnutsandbolts.blogspot.com/">Joanne's Nuts and Bolts</a>- Mama Jo is the phenomenal mother of one of my greatest friends. She was a source of great encouragement to me for starting this blog...you have her to blame :-) </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nichollegoodnightphotography.com/">Nicholle Goodnight Photography</a>- I am not a photographer. If I was, I would want to be Nicholle. Her talent oozes out of her blog, sometimes straight through my keyboard, and makes me want to go take pictures. Alas, mine look nothing like hers. My own children appear even MORE beautiful when captured with her magical lens. Oh, and she's total unpretentious. I like that about her. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Phew. this is harder than I thought. I'm going to have to go a bit more commercial here. Ok. <a href="http://www.pioneerwoman.com/">The Pioneer Woman</a> is a source of great culinary inspiration to me. I love her rustic, down homey recipes, and I think she'd be a lot of fun to invite over for dinner. Plus, her cookbook makes me laugh. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/">The Art of Manliness</a>...this is one that my husband came across. He is actually a much better blog-follower than I am, but I must say, this one is really cool. It's a treasure trove of, well, manly stuff. There are tutorials on how to build things, prizes like a straight razor shaving kit, and of course, how to use said straight razor without inflicting bodily harm. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.edwardshuman.com/">Into the Wildwood</a>- I'm switching gears here a bit, but that's ok...I'm tricky like that. Into the Wildwood is an Art/Book/Writing/Drawing blog by a fascinating gent named Ed. Ed and I have exchanged thoughts on books and such back and forth for a good while now. We tend to argue over methods, or book selection, and I must say that such conversation always makes me feel much smarter than I actually am. A very peaceful blog. I like it. So you should go see it. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lastly, but certainly not leastly, <a href="http://sarahunfiltered.wordpress.com/">Sarah Unfiltered</a> . I'm new to this one, but I have to say, I'm a fan. SarahUnfiltered is a happy amalgamation of life, recipes, DIY, and cute babies. Seriously, stop by, and if the cover photo doesn't make you giggle, or at least smirk, then feel free to go about your life. Just know you'll be missing out. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THERE! I've done it! Go forth, and blog mightily. I, on the other hand, will be going to bed. Oh, and tag. You're it.</span> </div>
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<img height="248" id="il_fi" src="http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/artists_l-z/morland/Morland_BlindMansBluff.gif" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
</div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-13312228945514249822012-05-07T20:04:00.001-07:002012-05-07T20:04:55.068-07:00Rules of Civility- Amor Towles<br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ok, being once again overcome with remorse with my flippant treatment
of my tiny corner of cyberspace, when so many others are being diligent, I’ll
try (once again) to fill the gaping void left by my absence. Stop snickering. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rules of Civility<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">By Amor Towles<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">If I came back in another life as a writer, I think I want
to write like Mr. Towles. I could never
aspire to anything so grandiose as Tolkien, or Tolstoy, nor could I ever have
the sheer intellect necessary for greats like Clive Staples, or the gentle
whimsy Mr. Dahl. But Mr. Towles, now, he’s
a fellow after my own heart; clear, incisive, witty and warm, with a bit of
snark and sass to boot. To wit: “<i>As a quick aside, let me observe that in
moments of high emotion- whether they’re triggered by anger or envy,
humiliation or resentment-if the next thing you’re going to say makes you feel
better, than it’s probably the wrong thing to say</i>.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I may need to have that particular quote ensconced on my
desk…facing me, of course. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Rules of Civility </i>was
all the rage a few months back, and I heard about through one of my favorite ‘I’m-bored-find-me-a-good-sounding-book’
sites...NPR Books. The story of a young
girl trying to make good in the big city is a often a fun read, and when that
story features a fun-loving roommate, a tender-hearted heartthrob and underground
bars of the 1930’s, so much the better. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mr. Towles’ tale is told from the point of view of 25 year
old Katy Kontent, and we are quickly immersed in her life…such as it is. Katy is very bright young woman, taking
advantage of every opportunity available to her in her young life. That is to say, she is a typist in a
multi-bodied secretarial pool, noted for her attention to detail, and desire to
succeed. She shares a mediocre flat with
Eve, a mid-west debutante, bent on throwing off the yoke of wealth, beauty and
privilege, forced upon her by birth.
Would that I were so smitten. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">“<i>Looking at Eve
asleep, I wondered what the hell was going on.
How did she end up drunk in an alley?
What happened to her shoes? And
where was Tinker? Whatever their story,
Eve was breathing easy now- for the moment forgetful, vulnerable, at
peace. It’s a purposeful irony of life,
I suppose, that we never get to see ourselves in that state. We can only pay witness to our waking
reflection, which to one degree or another is always fretting or afraid. Maybe that’s why young parents find it so
beguiling to spy on their children when they’re fast asleep</i>. “</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Katy and Eve hit the town on New Year’s Eve 1938, with a
strictly budgeted plan for libations which goes quickly awry. Happily,
they encounter Tinker, a debonair, suavely dressed young bachelor who is happy
to help them out of their poorly budgeted evening. The three go on to form an intricate
connection, wildly different, but strongly experienced on all sides. Their story spans only one calendar year, but
it’s filled to the brim with contrasts; ten cent gin and glistening champagne,
drunks on the street and dinner parties in the penthouses, true friendships and
shams. Each character bears a bit
closer scrutiny, from the humble but strong Katy to the beautiful Eve, to the
smartly groomed Tinker. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Will this book change your life? Probably not. Will it upend your view of society and redefine
your entire belief system? No. Will it
fit snugly in the crook of your thumb, draw you in so you can smell the cigars
and gin, and leave you with the too-oft-rare feeling of ‘wow. That was a good book.’ ? Yes.
Yes it will. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">“<i>Could there have been
a more contrary statue to place across from one of the largest cathedrals in
America? Atlas, who attempted to overthrow the gods on Olympus and was thus
condemned to shoulder the celestial spheres for all eternity- the very
personification of hubris and brute endurance.
While back in the shadows of St. Patrick’s was the statue’s physical and
spiritual antithesis, the Pieta- in which our Savior, having already sacrificed
himself to God’s will, is represented broken, emaciated, laid out on Mary’s
lap. Here they resided, two worldviews
separated only by Fifth Avenue, facing off until the end of time, or the end of
Manhattan, whichever came first</i>.” </span></div>
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<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-41779186600877806142012-02-24T15:40:00.000-08:002012-02-24T15:40:55.348-08:00Guest Review By the Incomparable Gina<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As you know, here on T&T, we love to hear reviews from other bibliophiles! This time around we have a review from Gina, hailing from North Jersey. Gina and I have known each other since the days of yore when we played a pair of doddering old biddies, bent on improving the lives of lonely men by pushing them off this mortal coil in the classic "Arsenic and Old Lace". Happily, neither of us have taken this role to heart, and now work toward the happiness of our respective families, and discovering new tomes of greatness! So, without further ado, here is Gina's take on Kate Danley's <i><u>The Woodcutter.</u></i></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0in 12pt -0.75pt; vertical-align: top;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I purchased </span><i><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Woodcutter</span></u></i></span></span><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> by Kate Danley based on the reviews of others. I can only hope my review solicits the same response. This is one of those rare gems you breeze hungrily through then suggest to 20 other friends so you can talk about the many plot devices, characters and surprises that enraptured you to begin with!<br />
<br />
To begin with, </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Woodcutter</span></i></span></span><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> is a fairy-tale fantasy. Our hero, the Woodcutter, is charged with keeping the peace between the various Kingdoms of what we know as "Happily Ever After." He is protector, ambassador, sleuth, and when he must, assassin. <br />
<br />
However, something frightful is afoot in his Woods - the Woods that connect the Kingdoms. Princes and princesses are being kidnapped and an ominous beast is devouring True Love. With this onslaught of despair and confusion, the once peaceful balance is being torn asunder and the omnipotent Fairy Realm, for centuries content to bequeath their loving and powerful magic to gentle, deserving souls, now finds itself being manipulated by this dark and dangerous force. <br />
<br />
A familiar cast of characters lulls the reader quickly into rapt attention even though the adventure is foreign and wild. Since most readers already feel a childhood connection to these characters, an immediate bond is formed and the audience will cheer the "good guys" on from the very first chapter.<br />
<br />
The ending is satisfying and ties up all loose ends. However, a door is also left open for a sequel which I hope is one day procured. I cannot possibly speak more highly of this fun, adventurous fantasy!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #ead1dc;"><img class="rg_i" height="112px" name="cZ7ITGkXONjpHM:" 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" style="cursor: move; margin: 0px 0px 0px -1px;" unselectable="on" width="75px" /></span></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-85320661489012946912012-01-18T18:09:00.000-08:002012-01-18T18:09:45.055-08:00Full of Remorse- Three quick reviews to pacify our insatiable audience...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"></span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;">So, I have woefully neglected our little corner of blogging, and I’ve been so very sad about it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an effort to make it up to you, here are my takes on the last three notable books I’ve delved into… <br />
I'm still a total sucker for re-takes on fairy tales, and as such, "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Entwined</b>" by Heather Dixon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of the best that I've encountered in a long time. If you've ever read Robin McKinley's "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beauty</i>", (a retelling of Beauty and the Beast) you might find that the literary styling is very similar. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i>" is a redo of the story of the 12 dancing princesses, which has long been a favorite of mine. (If you’re into fairy tales and folklore, make time to check out SurlaLune.com. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting site.) Ms. Dixon weaves an absolutely entrancing story of the princesses, their circumstances and their suitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little humor, a dark history, and a lot of dancing; I thoroughly enjoyed it. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;">I also just finished "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Night Circus</b>" by Erin Morgenstern. There was quite a bit of media hype about this, which was one of the reasons I decided to look into it, and it is a neat read. Set in the Victorian period, it’s the tale of an ethereal and mystifying circus, in which two rival magicians vie for glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ms. Morgenstern’s tale has some very arresting and intriguingly fantastical descriptions, and if you can call a non-illustrated novel ‘visually astounding’, this is it. But as descriptive as the writing was, I always felt that I was only getting the 2 dimensional version. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted a bit more than what was presented. For those of you who have watched the movie "The Prestige", this is sort of along similar lines, only (sadly) less compelling and much more polished over all. I felt as if I could wander through the “The Night Circus” in white kid gloves, and never muss them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my mind, a circus implies a dark, seamy underside where lurks the barely restrained power and mystique that bulges at the seams of the canvas tents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, it was an interesting book, but I can't bring myself to rave about it. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
<span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Cambria;">Lastly, I read "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Scorpio Races</b>" by Maggie Stiefvater, which was also brought to my attention by outside sources. Apparently, this lady has written some wildly popular teen fiction regarding star-crossed were-wolves. I'm happy I didn't know that before I read "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scorpio</i>", because it would have irrevocably biased me against picking up the book. I had a similar reaction to this as I did "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Night Circus</i>"....felt that the story line had so much promise, but it took me a while to get into. The story revolves around a horse race on a small Scottish (?) island, where the horses racing are water horses. Not hippos, but the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">capaill</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">uisce</i> of mythology (meat eating horses of the sea which have a tendency to drag their riders to the depths.) Cool, huh? But I felt like it just didn't deliver on its promise. Any story placed by the restless ocean is incredibly attractive to me…Maybe I’m just too finicky, but, like the ocean, I wanted a bit more depth, and a little more undertow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, I would recommend it, because maybe you'd have a different reaction or appreciation to/for it than I did. <br />
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Overall, of the last tomes that I've tackled, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i>" is far and above the winner. Check 'em out, and let me know what you think!</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_26Vg2smgO9s3IuX86u0AKpsCjRPG0Lp8EypbdF0QqIcxQQaQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rg_hi" data-height="279" data-width="181" height="279px" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_26Vg2smgO9s3IuX86u0AKpsCjRPG0Lp8EypbdF0QqIcxQQaQ" style="height: 279px; width: 181px;" width="181px" /></a><img class="rg_i" height="200px" name="IwdhmIuJipVCgM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQawroDEdZtw9nLyXBNL9SfDIAWA_qZcwhYqLUUOXO0yuBGEL8Y9_mraCM" width="131px" /> <img alt="" class="rg_hi" data-height="194" data-width="259" height="194px" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOL27AIxwdCJ9k-c9VRBWfrV8vRgeE-cccYivj3Uu6-dx17i5p" style="height: 194px; width: 259px;" width="259px" /> </div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-62233251860773309422011-09-29T14:27:00.000-07:002011-09-29T14:27:47.526-07:00East of Eden by John Steinback<span style="color: #d9d2e9;">This month's post is contributed by a guest author, Joy G. Joy is actually the one who first introduced me (Dorothy) to give East of Eden the ol' college try, and I've loved it since I first cracked the binding on it. But enough about me, let's hear it from her! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Joy G. says....</span><br />
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<div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">As a guest blogger sitting in for my two sisters I have the pleasure of reviewing one of the best novels I have ever read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>East of Eden</u> by John Steinbeck, is also the only of Steinbeck’s books that I like at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if you have ever read any of his other books and thought, “Darn that was depressing,” get ready to celebrate because he actually wrote something that was not a sucking void of depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many things I enjoy about this book, that I would be unable to enumerate them all in this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will do my best to give you a quick and dirty version.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Steinbeck introduces us to a number of characters in this book who you will fall in love with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people are rich and varied and truly alive even when in the midst of terrible pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the characters you are unlikely to adore is Kate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is one of the most evil characters I have ever met in the pages of a novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She makes Sauron, the White Witch, Voldemort and some of the other villains of our day look mild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for this is not due to some side plot wherein Kate can blast people with her laser beam eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead what is so chilling about her is that she could be real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her evil is at once subtle and like an impenetrable wall that crushes everything good and beautiful in its path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have ever read another gem entitled <u>People of the Lie</u> by M. Scott Peck, which is Dr. Peck’s discussion of a psychology of human evil, then Kate will already be a familiar entity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have not be prepared because she is not someone you would want to invite for dinner or fall in love with for that matter.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">As I already stated the book is far from depressing, so it does not just have a great villain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another aspect of the story that I cherish every time I re-read it (about once every couple years) is the way Steinbeck told the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>East of Eden</u>, he proposes, is a telling of his family history interwoven with another famous family, that of Adam and Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wonderful tapestry draws you into a story that at its center is an interior struggle between good and evil in the hearts of Eden’s men and women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His retelling of the Genesis story is refreshing and as well done as Lewis’ retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, <u>Till We have Faces</u>.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">The last thing I will share is that of the stories setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steinbeck paints a picture of California as it was during his childhood and before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with everything else this book has to offer the backdrop of the book is subtle, complex and entwined into the story to deliver a work of fiction that many refer to as Mr, Steinbeck’s opus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must say I agree entirely.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">My sincere hope is you get yourself a copy, possibly a bottle of red wine, and you curl up in front of your fireplace to fall in love with this novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do not have any of those things but the book it will still deliver, I promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will leave you longing for more, and you will be compelled to return and rediscover the richness of this story again and again.</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Cheers to at least one not depressing Steinbeck novel!</span></span></div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Body" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"></span></span></div><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Joy</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f54HUgHoJ8c/ToTipVxAbqI/AAAAAAAAAC4/dqUuH2LAmk0/s1600/eoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f54HUgHoJ8c/ToTipVxAbqI/AAAAAAAAAC4/dqUuH2LAmk0/s1600/eoe.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-69611875444964860842011-08-08T08:40:00.000-07:002011-08-08T08:42:51.261-07:00The Magicians by Lev Grossman<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p6cR0IhCMXw/TkADsCk7FEI/AAAAAAAAAC0/54B6Cu-XfBQ/s1600/magicians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" naa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p6cR0IhCMXw/TkADsCk7FEI/AAAAAAAAAC0/54B6Cu-XfBQ/s200/magicians.jpg" width="130px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #ead1dc; font-family: Cambria;">Ever get the feeling that you’re singing a discordant note in the choir?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Me too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My discordance has the pleasure of being both literal and figurative- I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what I’m referring to in this case is the fact that I tend to disagree with book critics on a regular basis. Not always, mind you, but in many cases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pardon the stream of conscience divergence from our normally stately book reviews, and bear with me here for a minute whilst I rant. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;">When I come up dry on reading ideas, my two favorite websites to go to are barnesandnoble.com and npr.org.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B&N has some neat reviews of their bestsellers that you can skim through to try to find out what all the people with disposable income are purchasing, and NPR has an awesome section on books, period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NPR is my top choice, because it never ceases to bring books to my attention that I would have otherwise never stumbled upon, and pique my interest in genres that I would have decried any interest in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these I have thoroughly enjoyed! However, the exception that is niggling at my brain tonight is <u>The Magicians</u> by Lev Grossman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grossman’s novel is touted as an acceptable stop-gap for those of us struggling with the painful conclusion that we’ve matriculated through seven blissful years of Hogwarts, have been handed our walking papers and are being forced back out to the muggle world, now safe from Voldemort, and a little duller for the safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><u>The Magicians</u> is definitely a grown up novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are friendships and painful coming of age relationships, dysfunctional families, and great loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is magic involved, a dark, elemental magic that incinerates the careless, feeds on personal pain, and is available only to the intellectually elite. (I already feel excluded.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel also corrupts much of what is beloved about our childhood concept of ‘magic’, taking particular aim at bastardizing a whole ream of children’s fiction literature and its creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, the main characters in <u>The Magicians</u> have idolized a set of children’s stories entitled <u>Fillory and Further</u> written by Christopher Plover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disclaimer: I have never read Plover’s work.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fillory</i> novels focus on a magical world which exists outside of ours, and is inhabited by intelligent, talking animals and magical creatures who desire the help of some British children who routinely get called over to help solve the woes of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and in <u>The Magicians</u>, Fillory is a real place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With real problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You follow so far? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said magicians embark on dreamed of magical quest to find nothing but pain, disillusionment and severely misguided philosophy. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #ead1dc;">Maybe this is my beef with Mr. Grossman:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the entirety of his novel is aimed at destroying the best loved elements of fantastical fiction (i.e. mystery, heroism, the proving of virtues and humans besting their inherently troubled nature).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fillory</i> novels in question seem to bear remarkable semblance to C.S. Lewis’ <u>The Chronicles of Narnia</u>, which makes any mudslinging on the kid-lit fiction unacceptable to a book-nerd such as myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if some bored journalist tried to mate the original ingenuity of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter</i>, with Donna Tartt’s depressing and nihilistic <u>The Secret History. </u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unappealing result seems to be <u>The Magicians</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-70205288029790063562011-03-31T08:57:00.000-07:002011-03-31T08:57:01.706-07:00The Paris Wife by Paula McClain<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Title: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Paris Wife</i></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author: </b>Paula McClain</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre: </b>Historical Fiction</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: Cambria;">So, when launching into a novel that centers on a man’s first of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">four</i> wives, one has to be open to the possibility that it’s not a happy story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such is the case with Paula McClain’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Paris Wife</u></i> which introduced me to Hadley Richardson; Ernest Hemingway’s first wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, this would seem to me a tough storyline to sell to a publisher~ this isn’t the wife he ended up with, it’s not even the one he lasted the longest with ...”just” the first one. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: Cambria;">Here’s the beauty of the novel; McClain takes on what we all know to be a melancholy and hopeless tale, but speaks it through the unsuspecting eyes of Hadley Richardson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we, the readers, can’t help but try to identify the various and telltale warning signs that the story is peppered with, Hadley comes across as a fresh, intelligent and self-giving woman who manifests a strength and resilience that one can’t help but admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, she embodies those attributes so well that it’s no wonder Hemingway fell in love with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her unassuming and honest nature served as a great comfort to him, and her loyalty to him is above reproach, even if completely unreciprocated. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: Cambria;">I happen to really dig Hemingway’s novels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not the content, I truly love the completely transportive quality of his writing, which inevitably makes me want to swim in the ocean in the south of France, and dry off in the sun, sipping on cold, unnamed white wine in a sweating bottle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, after reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Paris Wife</i>, I’m forced to accept the fact that he was a womanizer, who tried desperately to write beautifully, and lose himself utterly into whatever experience was directly in front of him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the novel is labeled Historical Fiction, (I think mainly due to the first person narrative) the information it contains is traceable back to records kept by Richardson, and works by Ernest himself. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">I suppose that Paula McClain’s novel is a bit like a stained glass window; a beautiful work of art whose true purpose is meant to illuminate another’s story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was rooting for Hadley from page one, became better acquainted with her and her illustrious husband, and finally couldn’t wait for her to reclaim herself by the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I3FiqtJH0Ss/TZSkFKG2IsI/AAAAAAAAACY/KvL0uK7q2ZI/s1600/the+paris+wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I3FiqtJH0Ss/TZSkFKG2IsI/AAAAAAAAACY/KvL0uK7q2ZI/s1600/the+paris+wife.jpg" /></a></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-42629586151830340632011-03-08T07:13:00.000-08:002011-03-08T07:13:40.515-08:00Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon Series<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Titles Include:</strong> Moscow Rules/The Defector/The Rembrandt Affair/ and more!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Author:</strong> Daniel Silva</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>Genre:</strong> Spy/Mystery </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">The Gabriel Allon series written by Daniel Silva are the most addicting spy novels you will ever read. Gabriel Allon is an Israeli spy who is a modern Jewish hero. He saves lives, restores justice and unveils historical secrets. This sounds like a copy of superman or any other superhero but Gabriel has so much depth compared to those guys. He is a very talented art restorer who listens to Italian opera and appreciates beauty. The depth continues with the revealing of his own sufferings and hardships that have contributed to this hero persona. It is not like Hannah Montana who has “the best of both worlds”. When you’re a spy, an occupational hazard is that you are never off duty~ even when you’re off duty. Gabriel is a character that you would love to have coffee with, although he would not say much ….because he lives a secret life.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Daniel Silva not only has an art for storytelling and character development but intrigue as well. Once you start one of his stories it’s so hard to put down that you find yourself shirking your duties to read and then being sad when the last page is read. Though this is a series, each book can be read in their own right. Silva makes sure within each book the history of the character is known. Silva also does an excellent job putting historical events, people and circumstances within the story. As a history major I am surprised at things that are divulged and find myself looking them up for validity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"> I discovered this series upon leaving for a 6 hour road trip so I grabbed an audio version for the car ride. I was so enthralled the time flew and the dreaded drive home was actually highly anticipated because I wanted to finish the story.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">So if you love thrillers, spy novels, historical fiction, Middle Eastern relations with Europe, art history or politics this series is the set you have been looking for.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Daniel Silva please keep writing!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CSmrGLitn-k/TXZHVpzxQxI/AAAAAAAAAB0/-GpTnDY0jfQ/s1600/silva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CSmrGLitn-k/TXZHVpzxQxI/AAAAAAAAAB0/-GpTnDY0jfQ/s1600/silva.jpg" /></a></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-40901708694692896982011-02-14T08:18:00.000-08:002011-02-14T08:18:48.071-08:00“Killing Pablo” by Mark Bowden<span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Another Guest Contribution, this one from the esteemed and incomparable Mary Boryschuk! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"><strong>Title:</strong> <em>Killing Pablo</em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"><strong>Author:</strong> Mark Bowden</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">This searing, all encompassing account of the CIA and multi-national organization’s manhunt and subsequent death of Pablo Escobar is truly fascinating and proves the euphemism “Truth is stranger than fiction.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While one is not supposed to judge a book by its cover, go ahead and do so!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A picture paints a thousand words and the image of a handful of heavily armed men brimming with delight while standing over the body of the dead drug lord like a bagged deer is enough to make anyone curious at the very least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">Bowden, an exceptional journalist, states facts, not just about the demise of Escobar, but of the world he lived in and the country he created in Colombia fueled by funds from US citizens and their new “all the rage” habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The destruction Escobar wrought, the public support he bought (both with development and terror) are epic and Bowden does a masterful job of laying the landscape for the average reader unfamiliar with the details of the culture and “war on drugs” begun primarily and apparently unsuccessfully by Reagan, (unless you count the oodles of dough it brings each year to the federal government.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bowden covers the depths and heights of politics in both the US and Colombia and the only possibly perceived drawback in this fascinating piece of writing is perhaps the tedium of following the necessary drawing of relationships between the countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, however, well worth the trouble!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">I believe the History channel adapted the book for television in a special titled the same and, despite being a biased English teacher by profession, the book is exponentially better than the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The detail which Bowden uses to describe the man, the myth, the legend of Escobar, as well as the futility of the countries that pursued him, is spellbinding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is eye-opening, fascinating, and whispers of the seemingly dead art of unbiased journalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #d9ead3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I can’t recall the name of it but Pablo Esobar’s son did a documentary (I believe it was on HBO) about the aftermath of his father in his own life and an attempted reconciliation with the sons of Luis Galan, a leading candidate for president of Colombia, who stood up to Escobar and paid the price with his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see the whole thing but it was powerful as well.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0xyv5z8Nps/TVlVvTpxmwI/AAAAAAAAABw/7gsQJ2WQhKI/s1600/killing+pablo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0xyv5z8Nps/TVlVvTpxmwI/AAAAAAAAABw/7gsQJ2WQhKI/s1600/killing+pablo.jpg" /></a></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-13811536898398200072011-02-06T08:33:00.000-08:002011-02-06T08:33:55.777-08:00Very Valentine & Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><strong>Title:</strong> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Very Valentine</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brava Valentine</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><strong>Author: </strong>Adriana Trigiani</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><strong>Genre: </strong>Fiction</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em><strong><u><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Toto Says: </span></u></strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong><em><span style="color: #f4cccc;"></span></em></strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Valentine</i> trilogy is a refreshing look at life in an Italian-American family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Italian American families have a very delicate balance between traditions brought over from Italy and acquired American traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each family varies on how much of each make up their family life but Italian-Americans in and of themselves are their own culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This beautifully written trilogy is about a single woman named Valentina who struggles with being a modern woman living New York City and yet holding on to her “old world” traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Trigiani is a wonderful writer and has proven this over and over in her several best selling novels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Very Valentine</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brava Valentine</i> the reader feels as if they are sitting at the huge family table eating pasta, drinking wine and participating in loud conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t your typical romance novel. You will never guess what is going to happen next or how it ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So come on and walk with Valentine through the countryside of Italy, swim with her in the caves of Capri, dance with her in Argentina and stand on her rooftop garden in Greenwich Village and smell the tomatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t wait for Part III! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-size: small;"><strong><em><u>Dorothy Says: </u></em></strong></span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Ok, I have one gripe about Trigiani’s books; feel free to read them and judge for yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the deal: within the entirety of the extensive family structure that Trigiani has created in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Valentine</i> books, there is not even a single example of a decent marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, you may be rolling your eyes as you read this, sighing, and saying “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who cares???”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it’s my blog, and I care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow me to first preface my remarks, and then air my grievance for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Valentine Roncalli is the central character in the books. She is a thirty-something young woman, who is happily working her way up the ladder of craftsmanship in the family shoe business and on her way to becoming a master of custom leather shoes. She is pretty, funny, and socially adept, and she is not married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THIS IS<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> NOT</b> MY GRIPE!!! </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the character, and I’m not here to even insinuate the fact that because she is not married, she is in some way unfulfilled, deficient, or leprous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I would be vilely offended if someone did try to make that argument. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Here’s what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does</i> irritate my sensibilities:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the first two novels in the trilogy (haven’t read the third yet), the author assigns a laundry list of infidelities, desertions, and tragedies to the married couples within the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To those married couples in the story who escape the plague of infidelity, there are other various and obnoxious qualities attributed or insinuated: Sister A’s husband exudes a caveman-era prejudicial streak as wide as the Mississippi; Grammom (a fabulous and peppy septuagenarian) professes to never having had joy with Grandpa, and the offspring of all these marriages are either constantly obnoxious, repressed into rigidity, or vehicles for bitterness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Now, I’ve read more than a couple of books in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am adequately aware of the appearance of the theme of infidelity and troubled marriages within literature; many of the best works in history address this in one way shape or form. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leo Tolstoy’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anna Karenina, </i>for example, is incredibly adept at portraying the joys and sorrows of the choices made by his characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">However,</i> I was very saddened by the incredibly wide brush of doom with which Trigiani paints matrimonial and family life in her stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who is married knows it sure ain’t easy, and anyone with kids knows the sacrifice that children entail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, all the freedom in the world can pale in comparison to holding your sleeping babe in your arms, or climbing under the covers to curl up next to your best friend in the entire world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the midst of all the day-to-day, there is an inherent and objective beauty to both Marriage and bearing children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that this was completely negated within the framework of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Valentine</i> books is, I feel, a woeful injustice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 351.0pt;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TU7Na-oltWI/AAAAAAAAABs/uZgNMU_8u1M/s1600/valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TU7Na-oltWI/AAAAAAAAABs/uZgNMU_8u1M/s1600/valentine.jpg" /></a></div></span></span> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-14861476239710744722011-01-27T08:52:00.000-08:002011-01-27T08:52:18.095-08:00Guest Profile on Martha Grimes<span style="color: #eeeeee;">P</span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">eriodically on <em>Twine and Tin</em> we would love to showcase the thoughts, feelings and projects of some of our beloved readers. The following was contributed by our esteemed colleague (and Uncle :-), Mr. Allan Dash of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. </span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 3.75pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><a href="" name="OLE_LINK29"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">One of the best British mystery writers isn't British at all:</span></span></i></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK29;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></span></div><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK29;"></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Meet Martha Grimes</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Her wit sparkles, her plots intrigue, and her characters are absolutely unforgettable.” Thus the literary critic of the Denver Post summed up the works of novelist Martha Grimes, one of the best known, most respected creators of British mystery stories -- despite the fact that she’s as American as the 4<sup>th</sup> of July.</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Born in Pittsburgh where her father was City Solicitor, she grew up there and in Western Maryland, where her mother owned and operated a hotel. Later, she earned both her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Maryland. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">How did an American author end up writing British murder mysteries that are often compared favorably with those of genre giants Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and the like? </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">To begin with, she’s an unabashed Anglophile. To boot, she’s an avid collector of unusual British pub names, with which she’s titled her more-than 20 murder mysteries. (One of those pubs/titles is “The Old Contemptibles.” Guess what her "official" fan club calls itself?) Finally, she’s spent large segments of her time in England, becoming comfortable with “Britishisms” – those many differences in word spellings, meanings and usages that separate us from our linguistic first cousins. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Not only has Martha Grimes mastered the language, but she’s successfully plumbed the British character as well. The Brits love eccentricity, and Ms. Grimes has created an ongoing cast of delightfully quirky characters – usually found gathered in a pub -- who provide vivid contrast to the darker side of her tales. Chief among these oddballs is Melrose Plant, a wealthy hereditary earl, who has relinquished his several titles because he got bored sitting in the House of Lords.</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The central figure in all of Ms. Grimes’ mysteries is Richard Jury of Scotland Yard, a tall, handsome chief superintendent who, despite his lofty title, usually finds himself involved in the nuts-and-bolts of solving cases, frequently when he’s supposedly “on holiday.” His warm smile tends to set the female characters’ knees a-wobbling – even including, on occasion, the perpetrators’. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Early on in the series, Jury strikes up an unlikely friendship with the aristocratic Plant, who helps him – sometimes reluctantly – to solve a number of his always-intriguing cases. The former Lord Ardry (although his longtime butler insists on calling him "m'lord") would rather be with his friends at the pub, or sitting in front of the fire in his great house, a glass of port in one hand and a book of French poetry in the other, with his dog – perhaps the world’s laziest – curled up at his feet.</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Many readers have come to agree with the Chicago Tribune’s literary critic, who said, “Read one of (Martha Grimes’) novels and you’ll want to read them all.” Yours Truly has, indeed, read them all – at least twice. They’re that entertaining. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> <i>- <span style="color: black;">Allan Dash</span></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TUGijg4PdRI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fZd1nvxADFw/s1600/martha+grimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TUGijg4PdRI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fZd1nvxADFw/s320/martha+grimes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt;"><br />
</div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-26875410249175842682011-01-26T07:57:00.000-08:002011-01-26T08:05:37.162-08:00Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Title: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Garlic and Sapphires</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ruth Reichl</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Genre:</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Non-Fiction</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">I have always thought that one of the best jobs in the world must be that of a food critic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could possibly be better than eating in the nation’s crème de la crème of restaurants, where the choicest chef’s parade their most elegant cuisine in front of you, all while having the tab picked up by your boss?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the dinner scene straight out of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Cambria;">But what if the preparers of the fabulous, choreographed and sumptuous feast didn’t know that you were their salvation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if you were just a provincial local, who stumbled into the castle, hoping to sample some of its riches? Would they still go the whole nine yards to impress you, or simply toss you a PB&J and sit you in the corner? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Cambria;">This is the central question that Ruth Reichl decides to tackle in her deliciously constructed tome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arriving in New York City at the height of the 1990’s restaurant boom as the much-heralded food critic for the New York Times, Ruth is faced with a very real concern: If they (the chefs and restaurateurs) of the city didn’t know who they were serving, would the treatment received be the same? In an effort to discover the truth, our fearless heroine enlists the help of a Broadway make-up artist, and begins a cloak and dagger (minus the dagger) exploration of the underpinnings of New York’s finest offerings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What follows is a fascinating parade of characters who receive a wide range of treatment, ranging from all-out fawning of the famous critic, to the dismal invisibility of an apparent “nobody”. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Cambria;">Now, to be fair, I’m a Food Network junkie, so books in this vein appeal to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love food in all of its forms, be they visual, written, or best of all, actual and within reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Garlic and Sapphires</i> is an eye-opening, mouth-watering tour of both haute cuisine, and hasty conclusions. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Writing Style:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thumbs up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very easy to read.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Characterization: </span></span></b><span style="color: #eeeeee; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thumbs up~ fascinating array of all sorts.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Overall Story and Content: </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Thumbs Up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thoroughly interesting, very well executed</span>. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TUBEWfEI1NI/AAAAAAAAAA0/nllNXLwiirY/s1600/garlicandsapphires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OVPGH0hNz0A/TUBEWfEI1NI/AAAAAAAAAA0/nllNXLwiirY/s1600/garlicandsapphires.jpg" /></a></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-36698964038627047722011-01-23T19:38:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:38:46.670-08:00The Book Thief by Markus Zusak<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Title:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Book Thief</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author:</b> Markus Zusak </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dorothy’s Thoughts:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">I never anticipated laughing out loud at a book set in Germany smack-dab in the midst of WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also never thought that I would think of Death as a sympathetic narrator, with a penchant for beautiful sunsets, but this book challenged quite a bit of my preconceived notions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Book Thief</i> follows a brief span of years as lived by a young girl by the name of Liesel, who is sent by her birth mother to live with a foster family, in order to save the girl from her mother’s association with communism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The characters in the book alone are enough to recommend it, and are depicted in such a way that the reader feels a comfortable familiarity within the space of a few chapters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Death, the no-nonsense narrator shows a much softer side that what one might assume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, the fact that the narrator of the story <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> Death ought to give you a warning to the fact that this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> a story of wine and roses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Written in an extremely conversational style –complete with interjections- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Book Thief</i> is stylistically a very easy read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emotionally, however, the book is anything but smooth sailing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Of the characters whom we have the pleasures of meeting, my favorites are those who are central to the story: Rudy, Liesel’s next door neighbor and best friend is of epic proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rudy is best known throughout their small village for “the Jesse Owens incident”, in which the young German boy, in homage to the great Olympian of 1933, paints himself in charcoal from his blond hair to his toes and reenacts the track star’s race in the village field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s brought firmly home by his darkened ear by his mystified father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rudy is a continual source strength, encouragement and humor to Leisel throughout the novel, and lives for the day when he will finally earn her kiss. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Her foster family consists of her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">uber-</i>foulmouthed foster mother, Rosa, and the endearing Hans Hubbermann who excels in nothing so well as in understanding Liesel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rosa possesses an iron will, and an exquisitely offensive turn of phrase, which more often than not expresses loving over loathing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Book Thief</i> is fantastically original in its writing, achingly beautiful in its truth, and infinitely uplifting.</span></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-81502269333143741562011-01-23T19:36:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:36:32.184-08:00Chocolat by Joanne Harris<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Toto’s Thoughts: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chocolat</i> by Joanne Harris was chosen because I loved the movie and Dorothy had read other works by Harris before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The style that Harris writes in is so beautiful that you feel yourself in the setting and feel as if you know the characters personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main character, Vianne Rocher, is so likeable that you wish you could be her friend in real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally gained five pounds from reading the book because I felt I was always sitting in her chocolate shop and sometimes I could smell the hot chocolate while reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book to me is the like the guy you want to fall in love with because he makes you feel wonderful and whisks you away to the French countryside but you can’t bring yourself to truly love him because there is a big obstacle that is intrinsic to who he is that goes against all you believe in.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chocolat</i> is a magical place and I don’t mean unicorns and rainbows magical or fantasy magic like Lord of the Rings, but rather the characters dabble in real magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tarot cards, spells, mysterious creatures that can only be seen by “the chosen”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This alone in a book I can just chalk up to learning about the gypsy culture and not take so seriously but the book as a whole and in detail are in direct opposition to the Catholic Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main antagonist is a priest, the timeframe is from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, the main goal of the story is to make all people or things that are evil seem good and all good things seem bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example of this is that on Good Friday there is celebration all day and then one of the village witches kills herself by the end of the night. (Decadence in spite of a day set aside to honor the extreme sacrifice of Jesus, and the acceptance of an assisted suicide are placed in highlighted opposition to the beliefs of the Church.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, on Easter Sunday there was no Easter Mass as the triumph for the story and instead everyone celebrated the pagan festival of the pagan corn god.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Usually it is the case that the movie can not even compare with the book, but those that have seen the movie can vouch that the interpretation is completely different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the characters are changed as well as the main plot which becomes a love story</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Writing style<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> : Thumbs up!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Overall story and content<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> : Thumbs down :-(</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Likability of the characters<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> : Thumbs up! </span></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977095627634718297.post-91371007342401757752011-01-23T16:10:00.000-08:002011-01-23T16:10:27.806-08:00Prologue<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><em>Conversation on Twine and Tin</em> was created to give reviews on books through the eyes of everyday people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of us have read books that have been on the best seller list and/or got great reviews but when we read the book ourselves it was absolute crap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are here to give raw reviews on books and hopefully provoke some discussions with our followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our books are not limited to any genre and we range from classical literature to modern brain candy. As individuals, Dorothy and Toto find themselves often in agreement over the books we read, but not always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feel free to take sides on any disagreement as it arises! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This blog could be something that you follow regularly or if you just want a quick glance when you are looking for your next book to delve into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are also very intrigued to hear from you on some of your favorite literary endeavors~ but beware!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suggesting books for us to read means that you will be subjected to our thoughts on them!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Our book review system will be based on the following criteria: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Overall story and content</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Writing style</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Likability of characters</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We will do our best to substantiate our judgments with snippets, and you as our readers are by no means meant to feel bound by our thoughts, feelings, or reactions to literature. Losing yourself in a book can be a very personal experience; some books we fall in love with for no discernible reason, while others we come across can arouse a very palpable sense of dislike, even if it’s difficult to articulate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever your feelings, we hope you’ll take the time to glance through our thoughts, and share some of your own~ we’re as close as a bit of twine and tin! </div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558119616825980882noreply@blogger.com2